Fire damages lobster holding facility, destroys yard full of gear

Two firemen were injured but ultimately released from hospital

“Damage to the building was in the eaves and some of the refrigeration equipment. A lot of the lobster cages and tubes were destroyed.”

A lobster holding facility at West Head wharf on Cape Sable Island and a yard full of gear was damaged and destroyed on Nov. 24, after a fire to burn garbage got out of control in high winds and quickly became an inferno.

The fire broke out at about 10:30 a.m. Plumes of black smoke billowed hundreds of feet in the air from plastics burning in the fire, which soon spread to the roof and eaves of Long Point Lobster and Seafood Ltd.

The fire was quickly knocked down and away from the building once the Island and Barrington Passage Fire Department arrived on the scene. Two firemen were injured when they lost control of a high-pressure hose and were taken to hospital by ambulance. They were released after being checked out.

Firefighters from the Woods Harbour/ Shag Harbour and Barrington/Port LaTour volunteer fire departments also responded to the scene.

Island Barrington Passage Fire Chief Dwayne Hunt said firefighters were on the scene for about two and a half hours.

“The crews did an excellent job stopping the spread of fire to the building,” he said. “Damage to the building was in the eaves and some of the refrigeration equipment. A lot of the lobster cages and tubes were destroyed.”

The fire was the third one volunteer firefighters in the Municipality of Barrington have had in 72 hours.

“My firefighters are hoping for a break from all these calls,” said Hunt. “It has been a long, hard week.”

The fire also came hours after a decision was made to delay the start of the LFA 33 and 34 fisheries. The start to the seasons, which were to get underway on Monday, Nov. 26, were delayed due to forecasted wind and will open at week’s end.